Abstract

HERNANDEZ-RICO, Angie Nathalia  and  BALLEN-VANEGAS, Manuel Antonio. Palliative Care in Colombia: home care services, access barriers, and progress in the implementation of these programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. rev.fac.med. [online]. 2022, vol.70, n.4, e302.  Epub May 09, 2023. ISSN 0120-0011.  https://doi.org/10.15446/revfacmed.v70n4.95147.

Palliative care aims to comprehensively alleviate the suffering of patients with chronic, degenerative and terminal diseases, and thus improve their quality of life by including physical, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects in the care process.

In Colombia, the provision of palliative care services is regulated by Law 1733 of 2014, but access to them is limited since the health care centers where these services are provided are concentrated in the large capitals of the country. Furthermore, the general population is unaware of the existence of this type of care.

The fear of contagion during the COVID-19 pandemic created additional barriers, hindering even more the access to palliative care. For example, the access of health personnel in charge of these services to patients' homes was restricted and it was observed that people avoided attending their appointments at health centers.

Similarly, isolation and social distancing measures further worsened the psychosocial suffering of both inpatients and their families, as the support and presence of their loved ones was extremely limited during the end-of-life period, making, in turn, the grieving process more difficult when these patients passed away.

Bearing this in mind, the objectives of this reflection were to explore the current situation of palliative care services in Colombia and analyze the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their provision at home.

Keywords : Palliative Care; Home care Services; Coronavirus Infections; Grief; Terminal Care; Living Wills (MeSH).

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